Jim Harbaugh’s Lack of Interest on WR-Centric Michigan Signals Potential Vikings Opportunity for J.J. McCarthy

With the NFL Draft knocking at the door, what better opportunity for FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt to give his take on a mock draft? In the latest episode of The Joel Klatt Show, the analyst predicts the landing spots for the free agent quarterbacks. 

Peeling off the layers, he came up with an interesting insight about the current Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh’s ground-and-pound strategies when he was with the Michigan Wolverines. Going by his blueprint, the next potential destination for standout quarterback prospect J.J. McCarthy can be deduced.  

Klatt’s analysis of Harbaugh’s coaching blueprint

As revealed by Klatt, throughout his coaching tenure, Harbaugh has favored a run-heavy strategy. He stated, “But Jim Harbaugh has never been a wide receiver-centric team. He has never been that way what makes you think he’s going to be that way moving forward you could say like well you know you go to get Justin Herbert a wide receiver that’s not how Jim Harbaugh wins.”

Now that he is at the helm of the Chargers, he has released Keenan Allen and has restructured contracts with Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. Besides these players, another significant name appears, and that is J.J. McCarthy. According to Klatt’s analysis, McCarthy might have found limited opportunities to thrive in Michigan’s offensive system. 

So when he was the Wolverines’ coach, “he had J.J. McCarthy was a five-star player and guess what he asked him to do hand it off 32 times against Penn State.” In that case, Klatt envisions a potential trade scenario between the Minnesota Vikings and the Los Angeles Chargers. 

Minnesota Vikings eye J.J. McCarthy

It has been predicted that the Chargers will give their 5th pick to the Vikings in exchange for Minnesota’s 11th and 23rd picks. With the draft scheduled for April 25, the Vikings have shown keen interest in McCarthy. As a result, Minnesota’s quarterback coaches, Grant Udinski and Josh McCown, attended his pro day in Ann Arbor to evaluate McCarthy’s performance.

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Following the departure of their quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Atlanta Falcons after six seasons with the Vikings, the franchise sought refuge in veteran Sam Darnold. They signed a one-year deal with Darnold and have embarked on a recruiting spree to explore more options.

On the other hand, McCarthy boasts an impressive college resume with a completion rate of 67.6% of his passes for 6,226 yards. The record continues with 49 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions during his stint with the Wolverines.

This success has catapulted him into various conversations, being the potential Top-10 pick in several NFL mock drafts. All eyes are now fixated on the last sprint of April to find out whether McCarthy can find a suitable position where his quarterback play and aerial attack get prioritized.

Also Read: “Took the 49ers to Super Bowl”: Jim Harbaugh Gets Big Endorsement as He Eyes to Emulate His Michigan Success